Hi, sorry that I have not updated in a while.
Hope everyone likes this chapter!
Chapter 9
A week after the girls had gotten jobs at Rodriguez's club, things were progressing nicely. The team had decided that after a week of the girls playing at the club, Nate would come in posing as an exec at a record label who wanted to hear the girls sing, and then make Rodriguez an offer that he wouldn't be able to refuse. Megan had also been able to talk Selle and her partner into helping with the con, so by the time Rodriguez realized his money was missing, he would be in Federal custody.
"Okay guys, the plan is that I am going to show up and act as if I am there to enjoy the club and the entertainment, then I will chat up Rodriguez and see if he is willing to make a deal. If he is then I will suggest that my boss should listen to the group one night" Nate started.
"Hey Nate, I managed to get a hold of the records that our mark keeps for all of the safes and the contents that are in his office. We were right about him splitting up the money that he makes from all of his dirty dealings" Hardison interrupted as Parker frowned at the screen.
"In order for me to crack that many safes I would need a lot more time than what we have. We need to get him to move everything to one safe and up the security" Parker replied.
"Okay everyone that is not a part of the club grift go to the remaining clubs and act as if you are casing the place. If he thinks he is going to be robbed, he will be more likely to move the money" Nate explained.
"But won't he think it's odd if all of his places are cased, maybe Hardison could case one to spook him?" Katie asked.
"Katie's right Nate, if he thinks he's being targeted, he could run" Eliot said.
"Okay, Hardison you and Parker take Lucile and go to the club where he is housing most of the money" Nate directed.
A couple of hours later, Megan, Katie, and Kourtni walked into the club to perform and to wait for Nate to approach Rodriguez.
"Please let this work" Megan thought as she walked over to the stage and smiled at the audience that had gathered to watch the first show.
"This is quite a setup that you have here Mr. Rodriguez" Nate said as he sat across from the mark and watched the show.
"Well I try Mr. Todd; I trust the drink is to your liking?" Rodriguez asked with an obviously fake grin on his face.
"One of the best I've ever had, now tell me about the group that's performing" Nate said plastering an equally cheesy grin on his own face as he glanced at the stage.
"They auditioned for the job, and were basically the best in the room. The lead singer is really talented and they even have their own website to so that people can listen to their music. They just need their big break" Rodriguez said doing his best to sell the girls to Nate.
"Well they are good, and with a little persuasion, I could talk to my boss, maybe see if the company is interested" Nate smirked as he took a sip of his drink.
"How much persuasion are we talking?" Carlos wanted to know.
"Depends on how much you want the girls to be noticed, but I don't get out of bed for any less than fifty thousand" Nate replied.
"I can do better than that, how about a hundred and fifty thousand?" the mark negotiated.
"Well Mr. Rodriguez, you have a deal, I'll talk to my boss tomorrow and set up a time to come back" Nate said as he shook his hand.
"How about I tell the girls the news and then we have a drink to celebrate what I'm sure will be a very good investment for all of us" Rodriguez smiled.
When the girls came off stage, Carlos pulled them aside and told them about the representative from the record company. He explained that the rep would talk to his boss and would bring them to the club to listen to them. Then he asked the girls to join the two of them for a drink. Then he noticed that Adam had been watching the whole exchange, so he invited the younger man to join them.
After the girls and Nate left, Rodriguez called his head of security into his office. Then he handed him two glasses.
"I want you to run a thorough check on the guy from the record company, I want to know who I'm doing business with" the boss explained.
"Sure boss, but who does the other glass belong to?" the other man asked.
"Hardel, he has been more interested in watching Megan then he has been doing his job, so I want to know why" Carlos smiled.
"Will do boss" the security guard said before he walked out of the office.
When everyone met back at the bar, Nate told them that he wanted to go over whatever Parker and Hardison had found out from their stakeout before leaving for the night. Everyone broke into groups to pass the time while Eliot began to cook dinner for everyone.
Megan had gone upstairs to grab something from her purse when she heard footsteps behind her.
"You were great the other night at the club Megs" Adam said.
Megan whirled around and glared at him.
"What do you want Adam?" she asked suspiciously.
"Can't I just give you a compliment?" he asked.
"Not when there are probably strings attached" Megan retorted.
"Megs, we used to make a really good team, what happened to us?" he asked.
"What happened? You left me bleeding on the floor from a bullet wound that was meant for you. Then you turned tail and ran away when you found out that I lost our baby. That's what happened!" Megan said angrily.
"Look I know I made a lot of mistakes, and everything that happened was my fault. But I changed Megan, I miss you" he said softly.
"Yeah right, you really expect me to trust you?" Megan asked.
"No, I mean I know that you have every reason not to" Adam reasoned as he turned to walk away.
"Adam? Why did you come back to help my brother?" Megan asked even though she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the answer.
"Because he was my friend, and I watched how much losing Kyley hurt both him and your family. I wanted to make the bastard that caused all of the hurt and pain to pay for it. And I wanted to try and make things up to you, because I know that you deserve better" he answered as he walked up to her.
"Well, if everything works, thank you" Megan said finally.
At that moment Adam leaned in and kissed Megan on the lips. Megan was so shocked that she couldn't react. When she came to her senses she pushed him away.
"Adam stop! What were you thinking?" Megan asked.
"Come on Megs, you know you still miss us" Adam said.
"Adam…I… you know I'm seeing Eliot" Megan said.
"Megan, tell me that you don't still think about us, what could have been, hell what we could still be. If you don't then I'll leave it alone" he said.
"Adam, of course I still think about you. We were together for five years, I mean you were my first love" Megan replied softly.
That was when Adam leaned forward and kissed Megan again, but this time she didn't fight it. As the kiss continued, Megan wrapped her arms around Adam's neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist.
While Megan was upstairs, Eliot was putting the finishing touches on dinner. When he had everything ready he told everyone that the food was ready and then noticed that Megan was missing.
"Hey Charlie, where's Megan?" he asked as his friend walked over and sat down at the table and began to fix her plate.
"I think she went upstairs to get something, want me to go get her?" she asked with a smirk.
"No, I'll do it, we both know that once you sit down, you won't want to get up, you need to be careful on the stairs anyway" he said with a grin.
"Thanks you big softie" Charlie giggled as she took a bite of her spaghetti and meatballs.
Eliot chuckled as he made his way up the stairs. He walked to the end of the hall to the media room and paused in the doorway. What he saw made his heart stop dead in its tracks.
Megan was in Adam's arms and they were kissing. What was worse was that Megan didn't seem to mind at all.
Eliot felt the rage mix with something that could only be described as pure hurt, the same hurt that he felt when he had found out that Aimee, the woman he had loved most of his life had chosen to marry someone else, but he refused to barge in there and make a scene. If it was one thing that he was good at it was controlling his temper.
He pushed the urge to walk into that room and rip Adam limb from limb aside and made as much noise as he could to alert Megan that someone was coming. Then he walked into the room and said with a forced smirk.
"Dinner's ready."